Matt Shumate shows you how to make your space suitable for your next partner—and more comfortable for yourself.
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The first time a woman walks into your home can leave a big impression It’s not like college any more where a lava lamp, black light, and inflatable couch are all you need to make her think you’re unbelievably cool.
Seriously though, the way your place looks, feels, and even smells can have a big impact on how she perceives you. You have to step up your interior deco game so your bachelor pad doesn’t quickly become a deal breaker. At the same time, you want it to be natural and unique to you. And of course, you want it to be about you and who you are–not who you were in your last relationship.
Now, everyone has their own distinct style, so I’m not going to say you have to go uber modern or minimalistic. But, you should take a critical look at your current inventory of furniture, artwork, accents, and accessories and see what needs some freshening up. Let’s take it room by room.
First up, the kitchen. You want to invest in a nice dining set, cutlery, and cooking utensils. You don’t need to get a setup that will serve 20 guests for Thanksgiving, but you do want to be prepared to entertain with a certain level of style.
A good set of knives and pots and pans tops my list as essentials for the cocina. You should also build up a collection of 10-15 bottles of wine so you always have a stash of vino to draw from if you want to stay in on your third date.
In the dining room, you don’t need to invest a ton, but at the same time make sure you don’t have a folding card table or you have the mistaken impression that sitting on the floor to eat is cool. Look for a solid table that can sit at least 6 people. Get some unique dimmable overhead lighting that can set the mood and acts as a good conversation piece.
For the bedroom, I highly recommend upgrading the mattress. I acquired a Tempurpedic years ago and it’s one of the best investments I’ve ever made. You wake up feeling better with fewer aches and pains. These things suck you into a superb slumber, and it’s the type of sleeping environment that woman will want to stay over for.
I personally opt not to put a TV in the bedroom. They’ve done studies that show that Netflix binging while in bed is inversely proportional to sexual activity, so why take the chance there.
Find one or two nice pieces of art to accent the room. Whatever fits your personal style works, but I can’t co-sign on anything from Thomas Kincaid or that you can buy from Bed Bath and Beyond. I personally always try to support local artists at the art fairs around Miami.
Keep your closet organized and tidy. That’s a big one for a woman who’s envisioning her potential future with you. The battle for closet space can get intense after she moves in, so spend a little time at the container store to maximize use of your square footage and leave some inviting open space for her to hang up some things.
The living room. This is where I indulge. At one point, I had three plasma screens on the wall for a grand total of 109” inches of glorious HDTV goodness. Come football Sunday, that was my church.
I’ve dialed that back a bit, but I still have a stellar home theater system with Cambridge Audio gear that can quickly transition between setting the mood on date night to ripping off 360 degrees of audio in an amazing action flick.
The living room should be your comfort zone. As much as I preach the benefits of stepping outside of your comfort area, it can’t be all the time. Create a room where you can chillax, and if you have green space outdoors, use it. A deck for barbeques could be solid. Maybe you can put a pool in for summer or build a Zenned out meditation spot.
You could even start up your own garden for some farm to table green smoothie action. Definitely look at the landscaping and introduce some nice new lighting.
There are many options here, and what you can do depends on your budget, but you’ll profit from making the most of the small portion of god’s green earth that’s affixed to your domicile. It’s healthy to spend time outdoors, so make it inviting.
Overall, treat yourself to a place to come home that you just freaking love. Embrace your freedom. Express yourself. But, don’t go nuts and buy 13 retro arcade games and pinball machines. Make it your own but try to balance out the female friendliness at the same time.
Photo—Phil and Pam Gradwell/Flickr
